People Moves

GSB Names New Chief Operating Officer

Amanda Cheesley Deputy Editor 17 January 2025

GSB Names New Chief Operating Officer

Ex-Fry group and Sanlam figure joins wealth and financial planning firm in London as growth continues.

Global wealth management group GSB has just hired Hugh Johnson as chief operating officer of GSB, based in the company’s London office. 

Johnson will support the company’s expansion and growth across GSB operations, the firm said in a statement. He previously served in senior roles at The Fry Group and global financial services firm Sanlam.

At the Fry Group, he was global head of operations. With teams across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, he was responsible for driving the evolution and integration of a multi-service, multi-jurisdiction proposition, the firm continued.

At Sanlam, he was head proposition in the wealth division, where he led the design and delivery of the service proposition and managed teams across front and back-office. He has also led several projects to deliver an evolving technology, process and system automation and client experience.

Johnson’s hire comes after the appointment of Paul Waterman and Craig Holding who joined GSB’s wealth division based in Dubai late last year. 

GSB, which consists of GSB Wealth, GSB Private and GSB Capital, is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in the United Arab Emirates and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

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